Flower ID: IMG_0884.JPG-06-26-2017 Flower name (scientific): Asclepias syriaca Linnaeus PY: 1753. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) as-KLEE-pee-as seer-ee-AY-kah Flower name (common): Common Milkweed Family name (common): Dogbane (Milkweed) Family name (scientific): Apocynaceae (Asclepiadaceae) Scientific name origin: Genus: From the Ancient Greek Ásklēpiós (Asklepios), God of healing (medicine). Specific epithet: Of or relating to Syrian. From Linnaeus's flawed idea that the plant was from Syria, based on an earlier error by the French physician and botanist Jacques-Philippe Cornut. Common name origin: From the ample milky sap arising from damaged stems or leaves and the relative abundance of the plant. Flower description: Size: 0.4 to 0.6 inches (1.0 to 1.5 cm) Petal count: 5 Color: pink or white Other: flower arrangement, Cluster-umbel Plant description: Erect Size: 36 to 72 inches (0.9 to 1.8 m) tall. Stem hairy: Sparse to dense hairs present. Other: Leaf description: attachment is opposite, type is simple. Leaf arrangment is decussate. Size: Leaves up to about 20 cm long and about 8 cm wide. Color: Upper surface medium to dark green, lower surface pale green. Hairy: Upper surface sparsely hairy to glabrous, lower surface densely hairy. Other: Shape: leaf, broadly oblong (IL). Shape: leaf, broadly oblong (IL) Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Common Bloom time (typical): June to August Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Perennial Habitat: Fields, prairies, woods, thickets, disturbed areas, roadsides, waste ground, sun or part shade, wet or dry. Fruit: Green-colored follicles up to about 12 cm in length, with a warty surface. Shape is ovate. Seed: Seeds about 6 to 8 mm long, tan-colored wing, darker brown center, and a tuft of typically white hairs to aid in seed dispersal in the wind. Importance to wildlife: Very attractive to Monarch butterflies. Similar species (if any): Asclepias sullivantii (Sullivant's Milkweed) is a similar species, but can be distinguished by its lack of hairs, whereas A. syriaca has hairy leaves and stems. A. sullivantii is restricted to the south eastern counties in Wisconsin and is a threatened species in the state (and also in Minnesota). Asclepias incarnata (Swamp Milkweed) has some resemblance, but this species can be distinguished by its narrowly lanceolate leaves, with a length to width ratio of around 4 to 6. Asclepias purpurascens (Purple Milkweed) can be distinguished by its darker purple to red flowers. A. purpurascens has a distribution that is restricted to mostly southern counties in Wisconsin, and it is also listed as an endangered species in the state. Ethnobotany: The Chippewa used the plant to prepare an aid to postpartum milk flow and as a stomachic (Densmore, p. 360, 1928; Smith, p. 357, 1932). The Menominee used the plant as a pulmonary aid and the Potawatomi employed the plant as a medicine. At least three other tribes used the plant to prepare medicine. The Chippewa, Meskwaki, Potawatomi, Winnebago, and at least seven other tribes used the plant as a food source. The flowers and buds of this plant were used in soups by the Potawatomi (Smith, p. 97, 1933), by the Chippewa for the same purpose (Smith, p. 397, 1932), by the Menominee (Smith, p. 62, 1923), and also by the Meskwaki (Smith, p. 256, 1928). The Menominee, Meskwaki, and Potawatomi employed the plant as a fiber material (Smith, p. 74, 1923; Smith, p. 267, 1928; Smith, p. 113, 1933; Moerman, p. 109, 1998). Latitude: Longitude: Altitude: Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Adams, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Iron, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Racine, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Vilas, Walworth, Washburn, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, Wood) Click here for distribution map In US: (AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV) In Canada: (MB, NB, NS, ON, PE, QC, SK) References: Synonym(s): Basionym: na Homotypic Synonym(s): POWO lists 2 homotypic synonyms for this species. Heterotypic Synonym(s): POWO lists 13 heterotypic synonyms for this species. Autonym: na